Today marked the beginning of my journey. Early I went to the woods, walked deeper and deeper. I heard the seemingly sounds of swords and screaming.
Today marked the beginning of my journey. Early, I ventured into the woods, walking deeper and deeper, my boots sinking into the soft earth beneath me.
The quiet of the forest was suddenly shattered by the sounds of clashing metal and distant, frantic screams. I froze, my heart pounding as I strained to listen. There, in a clearing just ahead, a fierce battle was taking place.
A dozen warriors, their faces twisted with rage, fought mercilessly under the canopy of trees. The air was thick with the scent of blood and sweat.
The warriors bore the insignia of two different clans—one side wore the red-and-black colors of the Lain Clan, while the other side, cloaked in silver and blue, belonged to the Xiuwu Clan.
The swords rang out in the air, echoing through the woods as the fighters clashed in violent fury. The sound of steel cutting through flesh and the cries of pain filled my ears.
I couldn't help but watch, rooted to the spot, as the two clans fought with brutal precision.
As my eyes scanned the scene, I saw a tall figure from the Lain Clan standing near a large, ancient stone, holding a small, glowing herb in his hand.
It was the object of their battle—the rare Azure Blossom, an herb said to cure even the most lethal poisons and extend life for many years.
It was worth more than gold.
One of the Xiuwu Clan warriors, his face bruised but fierce, broke through the line of defense and approached the Lain Clan warrior, his eyes locked onto the herb.
"Hand it over!"
he shouted, his voice cold with venom.
"If you value your life, hand it over!"
The Lain Clan warrior sneered, raising his sword to block the oncoming strike.
"You think I would give it to you so easily?"
he retorted, his voice dripping with arrogance.
"Do you really believe you can take it from me?"
The Xiuwu warrior's expression darkened as he stepped back, his hand resting on the hilt of his own blade.
As the battle raged on before me, swords clashing, bodies falling, I slipped quietly to the edge of the clearing, my eyes scanning for the prize both clans were willing to kill for.
Hidden amidst a patch of delicate purple flowers, glowing faintly in the dappled sunlight, was the herb—its long, shimmering leaves wrapped around a crystalline bulb that pulsed with an otherworldly energy.
a rare medicinal herb said to not only heal wounds but also fortify the body's defenses, making one nearly impervious to injury if cultivated correctly.
My heart raced. I had no idea why these clans were fighting over it—no matter the reason, The herb had been described in ancient texts, passed down by my master, who had once told me that it could make the difference.
If I could cultivate it, perhaps I could finally find a way to avoid the injuries that had plagued me for years, wounds that seemed to reopen no matter what I did.
My master said that this herb could strengthen one's body and accelerate the healing process exponentially.
But the true key, the secret that he had whispered in my ear in the dead of night, was that if he merged his soul into my body temporarily, I could harvest the herb and escape before anyone noticed.
My master's soul was powerful, an entity bound to me by dark magic, and with his help, I could accomplish this impossible task. Without wasting another moment
He said "I will help you merge my soul to your body. It will give you power"
The world around me blurred as I felt his presence surge into my body—familiar, cold, but powerful.
My rank increased
Second lever 3 star. I am a fighter.
My senses sharpened. I reached down, plucking the herb from the ground with a single, fluid motion, feeling a rush of energy as the root came free from the earth. It pulsed in my hand, its soft glow now brighter than ever.
I turned to make my escape, but before I could retreat into the shadows of the trees, a sharp voice rang out behind me.
"Second level, 3 star?"
The voice was incredulous, filled with both awe and fear.
I froze.
The Lain Clan warriors who had been locked in combat now turned their attention toward me. One of them—a large man with a jagged scar across his face—was staring at me, his eyes wide with shock.
"What... Who is this?"
he muttered under his breath, his sword lowering slightly. The battle seemed to pause for a moment as the realization set in.
The other Lain Clan fighters looked equally stunned, confusion flickering across their faces. "
Master - He is second level 5 star. He is strong. We better escape.
We ran for hours, the pursuit never relenting. My legs burned, but the power of the herb coursing through me kept me going, pushing me beyond my normal limits.
The landscape around me blurred as I sprinted through the dense forest, the shadows of trees stretching longer as the sun began to dip below the horizon.
As we neared the top of Yu Mountain, the terrain became steeper, the path more treacherous. The dense trees began to thin, giving way to sharp, jagged rocks and cliffs.
The air grew cooler as night descended, and the wind howled through the mountain passes.
I could feel the change in the atmosphere—a quiet, foreboding energy settled over the mountain.
The Lain Clan warriors, though relentless, were starting to fall behind. They had slowed their pursuit as the difficult terrain took its toll. But as the mountain's height increased, the sense of something even darker began to creep in.
"Master…"
"I think we've lost them."
My master's voice rang through my mind, sharp and clear.
"Not yet. Do not drop your guard. There is something else out here."
We unmerged his soul power.
The wind whistled through the crags, and the distant sounds of battle from below were now mere echoes.
The Lain Clan had retreated for now, but I knew better than to think they would leave us alone forever.
My skin prickled as the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Something was near. I wasn't alone. And it wasn't the Lain Clan.
The air around us seemed to thicken, as if something was watching from the shadows. A ripple of movement caught my eye, and I turned just in time to see a pair of glowing eyes staring back at me from the edge of the mountain pass.
For a moment, I thought it was a trick of the dying light, but then—more eyes—glowing with an eerie, unnatural blue.
"We're not alone,"
I muttered, taking a cautious step back.
My master's voice came again, low and tense.
"There are creatures nearby. You must hide, now. Do not engage them."
Wolf-like creatures slowly approaching us.
I quickly scanned the area, my breath quickening. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. The creatures emerging from the darkness were too close, and there were too many.
Suddenly, the wind carried a voice—faint but clear. One of the Lain Clan soldiers, who had caught up just enough to witness the creatures' approach, cursed under his breath.
"We have to fall back. If we stay, we'll all die here."
His voice trembled with fear as he shouted to his comrades below.
From the edge of the mountain, the Lain Clan soldiers began to retreat hastily, their desperate shouts echoing through the still air.
"Next time, I will make you suffer so much that you will beg to die instantly!" one of the commanders yelled, his voice laced with venom.